Internet Addiction and Psychological Distress: Can Social Networking Site Addiction Affect Body Uneasiness Across Gender? A Mediation Model

The Internet, with its unlimited information, revolutionary communication capabilities, and innovative potential to expand knowledge, is ubiquitous throughout the world, but it also has significant implications for users’ mental health. Given the not yet clearly defined and distinguishable nosographic categories of online addiction and the resulting difficulties in describing the impact on users’ mental health, the present cross-sectional study aimed to gain new insights into the relationship between Internet addiction (especially social networking site addiction), psychological distress, and physical discomfort, as well as gender differences in impact among users. A sample of 583 Italian speakers (50.8% males; 48.7% females) with a mean age of 30.96 (SD = 12.12) completed an online survey in July 2021. A set of psychometric self-report instruments was administered to assess the study variables. Mediation analyses were performed for both the whole sample and across genders. The study found that men exhibited higher levels of Internet addiction and craving than women, but no differences were found for SNS addiction. Furthermore, indicators of psychological distress (i.e., anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, insomnia, and self-esteem) mediated the association between SNS addiction and body uneasiness, with slight differences across genders. This paper contributes to the existing literature on online addictive behaviors by also highlighting gender differences. The findings underscore the need for educational experiences that can prevent problematic use of the Internet and SNSs

the short index of self actualization a factor analysis study in an italian sample

The concept of self-actualization has been the subject of much theoretical speculation over the years. The essential meaning entails the discovery of the real self and its expression and development. As for the instruments available to measure the construct, there are currently several scales considered to be suitable to this end. However, many of these have been considered too long or presented problems with inadequate validation. This is the reason why a short index of self-actualization has been developed (Jones & Crandall, 1986). This index, best known as the Short Index of Self-Actualization or the Self-Actualization Scale (SAS), is now a widely used short form to measure self-actualization. The present study provides a psychometric analysis of the SAS, in order to highlight its strengths and weaknesses and to offer a starting point to a further and broaden investigation

Fear of flying assessment: A contribution to the Italian validation of two self-report measures

The present study describes the psychometric properties of the Italian adaptation of two self-report scales for fear of flying assessment: the Flight Anxiety Situations questionnaire (FAS), which measures anxiety related to specific flying phases, and the Flight Anxiety Modality questionnaire (FAM), which focuses on somatic and cognitive modalities occurring in air travel situations. Although both questionnaires have been translated in various languages and tailored to several local frameworks, this is the only study that provides an evaluation of the adapted instruments’ validity and reliability. Validation procedures were done on 259 participants, including patients who experienced fear of flying as well as a group of non-clinical subjects. Exploratory factor analysis was used to investigate the optimal design for the dimensional structure of both instruments. Confirmatory analyses showed that the envisaged models provided an acceptable fit for the available data. A three-factor solution for FAS and a two-factor solution for FAM were therefore detected. Construct validity was supported by convergent and criterion-related data, internal consistency was satisfactory for all subscales, and both instruments revealed a high level of sensitivity to change. Overall, psychometric quality of both measures showed to be fairly good and comparable to those found in the original study, thus suggesting their application in treatment programs for non-English speakers

Preliminary study on the standardization of the individual Zulliger test on non-clinical Italian population

Introduction: Projective methods are recognized as a core instrument in the description and interpretation of personality. The Zulliger test (Z-test) is based on the Rorschach Inkblot test, but it consists of only three cards. It has been mainly used in the collective administration mode and in the context of human resources assessment in organizations. The aim of the present study is to start a standardization of the Z-test on non-clinical Italian population, in individual administration mode. Method: Sample was composed by 360 healthy subjects (180 male and 180 females, mean age 38.25), divided into age groups (18-30; 31-45; 46-60) and education (high and low). All subjects were administered the Z-test in individual form. Results: Results show popular responses for each card, obtained by 17% of sample, and answers of statistical good formal quality, reported by at least 2% of subjects. Conclusion: Although this study has some limitations, it can be considered a good starting point for introducing the Z-test into clinical practice. In future research the sample may be expanded, also including clinical population and detecting specific psychopathological indicators

The relationship between subjective risk intelligence and courage with working performance : the potential mediating effect of workplace social courage

Background: There is a growing attention toward the construct of courage from a psychological point of view; recently, courage has been related with numerous positive individual behaviors and outcomes, such as coping strategies and subjective wellbeing, and an increasing number of studies explore the role of courage in the working and organizational environments. The present study is aimed to analyze the effect that individual courage—together with risk intelligence—and workplace social courage have on working performance; Methods: The participants are 961 Italian workers, balanced by gender; the measures used are: Courage, Subjective Risk Intelligence Scale, Workplace Social Courage Scale, and Performance Scale. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Models; Results: The results show the effect of subjective risk intelligence and courage on working performance, both directly and through the mediation of workplace social courage; Conclusions: Suggestions for further research and practical implications are discussed